Gravel is now my b!&ch

Shaun Mac

Barefooters
Aug 12, 2011
58
1
0
Finally took the plunge. Did a 2.5 mile run last night, half of it was on a gravel road. Ken Bob was right, it will ensure your form is perfect. It wasn't too bad, A slight burning on the balls of my feet, but not once did I step on a rock that really hurt. I did slow down to about a 10 min./mile pace, but once I got back onto the chip seal road back into town the pace picked back up automatically and it felt like I was running on a cloud, and I could tell my form was more dialed in.

Don't be scared, embrace the gravel. If I can do it so can you.
 
I agree.  I ran my longest

I agree. I ran my longest trail run of 6 miles barefoot, on a mixture of limestone and gravel. The next day my soles were really feeling it, but in a good way. My pace definitely slows on gravel trails, but it absolutely makes you pay attention to your form. This particular trail is my go to trail when I need more stimulation for the soles. And yeah, it definitely makes concrete feel like a soft bed of feathers.
 
I've been running a lot on

I've been running a lot on pavement this last week to take it easy on a puncture on my left forefoot pad. I'm now just itchin' to get my feet back into a good gravelly run. Enough with this soft sissy stuff!
 
I had a great run yesterday

I had a great run yesterday morning. It combined 2 of my favorite running experiences - gravel and rain. It was a 6 or 7 mile, 60 minute run on the Delaware Canal towpath north of Yardley, PA, which features relatively fine crushed red stone, mostly. Because it was raining hard I couldn't wear my glasses and had adventures in foot placement. I'm so blind I can''t see the ground in front of me to the point where even Black Walnuts, which run to the size of a baseball, nearly, came as a surprise when I stepped on them, unless I was watching extremely carefully.

The gravel was a delight, though.

LadyCheshire, you'll be fine! I couldn't run across the street at the end of last winter after wearing VFF's for a few months. The gravel killed my feet. I was back to pre-winter status in less than a month. You'll see. A little at a time will set you up well.
 
Nice... I haven't gone out

Nice... I haven't gone out and done any targetted gravel running yet (since a gravel/dirt trail in a park which I selected for my starting off week. Was the roughest surface I could find near my hotel.)

I'm now in ladycheshire5's camp and hessitant to go there... I know it will be good but I just can't bring myself to do it yet.